1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the mating of the connectors of at least two connector pairs and in particular to the mating of the connectors of two different kinds of connector pairs.
2. Description of Related Art
A conventional electrical connector pair comprises a plug connector and a receptacle connector which can be operatively engaged to operatively couple the signal-transmitting elements or leads coupled to the connectors. It is common practice to mount one of the connectors on a mother board and the other of the connectors on a daughter board. The connectors can be mated or operatively connected by advancing the daughter board toward the mother board to bring the connectors into operative engagement.
Multiple electrical connector pairs can be operatively connected in the same fashion by providing multiple electrical connectors on the mother board and the daughter board. Thus, a single daughter board can be used to mate two or more electrical connector pairs. This can be accomplished with relative ease because the electrical connector pairs, being like connectors, can be constructed and assembled to essentially the same tolerances and arranged to mate along a common plane.
Problems arise in attempting to use the technique described above to mate dissimilar connector pairs, such as electrical and optical connector pairs. One reason for this is that optical connectors must be constructed, assembled and mated with much tighter tolerances than electrical connectors in order to minimize optical losses. In addition, it is difficult or impossible to have the optical connectors mate along the same plane as the electrical connectors. Although mating of electrical and optical connectors can be accomplished using very tight tolerances, this is difficult and costly to achieve.